Why Liverpool could dethrone Manchester City this season

The PL 2017-18 season was an unbelievable season for English football. A team won 32 out of 38 matches in the league, scored 106 goals and racked up 100 points - all of which are records in the Premier League, Manchester City were indestructible last season.

No team had won 18 matches on the trot as they had done in the Premier League, no team in recent history had gone to Old Trafford and played Manchester United as they had.

They were compared rightfully to the great teams of old like the Manchester United treble winners of 1999, the Arsenal Invincibles, and the first title-winning Chelsea team of 2004-05.

Pundits have already started declaring that this team will continue to rule the Premier League for ages to come, but Pep Guardiola knows they face stiff challenge from a great Liverpool side managed by Jurgen Klopp.

Anfield proved to be a hellish place for City - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One

14 January 2018 was the day Pep Guardiola realised that there was a team in the Premier League capable of going toe to toe with them in a game of football, and defeating City in the process. Liverpool defeated City 4-3 in a thrilling encounter at Anfield, where all of Liverpool's front three scored spectacular goals.

Anfield again proved to be a hellish place for City when they came to face Liverpool in a Champions League quarter-final first leg tie, and found themselves 3-0 down inside 30 minutes. They went on to lose the quarterfinal 5-1 on aggregate, which was a great humiliation to them.

Liverpool strengthened in the summer by signing the likes of Fabinho from Monaco, Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke City, and the all-important Alisson Becker from Roma - removing the weak link in the Liverpool back-line in the form of a goalkeeper, as Loris Karius had potentially cost them the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

The all-important Alisson Becker

Liverpool have leaders in their starting 11 in the form of Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Virgil Van Dijk. The devastating front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane continue to wreak havoc. They also have players coming off the bench in the form of Daniel Sturridge & scoring vital goals.

They are winning ugly against teams like Brighton and Cardiff, getting last minute winners against Everton, and getting points against teams like Arsenal and Chelsea when they did not play very well - all of which are hallmarks of a title-winning team.

They are 1 point ahead of City on the league table after matchweek 17, while United was nowhere near City at this stage last season, and the slow return to form of Mohamed Salah can make Liverpool fans start dreaming about their first league title in 29 years.